Kaduna community raises alarm over refuse dump

Kurmin Mashi community in Kaduna State has raised alarm over the indiscriminate dumping of refuse into a stream in the area which the people depended upon for their water needs.
According to residents, the amount of refuse dumped into the stream located along College Road on daily basis was alarming and requires urgent attention and remediation.
One of the residents, Malam Abdul-Aziz Ahmed said: “The refuse is causing heavy pollution to the environment; the air, soil and underground water are heavily polluted. There are schools, churches and mosques, and several residential houses within 1km radius to the dumpsite.
“The dump site is directly opposite T&T schools, adjacent Brain Trust Nursery & Primary School and directly behind St Theresa Catholic Church, Kurmin Mashi. We are worried because we cannot open our doors and windows due to the continuous smoke coming out of the burning refuse,” he said.
The principal of T&T School, Kurmin Mashi, Grace Sylvester, said she and other residents of the community have complained several times to the Ministry of Environment and even submitted a letter to the commissioner in 2014 all to no avail.
“This refuse is really affecting the school because some people will just come and put fire on the refuse and because of the smoke coming from the burning refuse, we have to close the windows of the school thereby preventing ventilation in the classrooms where children are learning to avoid air pollution.
“The refuse is being dumped directly into the stream, so sometimes during rainy season the refuse blocks the channel of the water causing the water to flood the school. There was this time that the school was flooded and refuse was pushed into the school premises by the water,” she said.
She added: “We have complained to the government, we have complained to the district head and even the police station, they all know about the refuse dump. There was a time the dumping reduced because we employed some men to guard the dump site from morning to evening to stop those dumping refuse there.
 ‘But now, the place has taken a turn for the worse, if you see, it looks like one hill and the boys that collect refuse from houses are still dumping it there. And apart from the smoke, at times they dump dead animals there which is not very healthy especially for children,” she said.
She appealed to the Kaduna State government to come to their aid by removing the dump site completely to a more conducive site away from people.
On her part, Elizabeth Garba, a member of the St. Theresa Catholic Church said the state at which refuse is being dumped on the bridge is very alarming.
 “The heap is on a daily basis rising higher and higher even though there is a sign there saying that refuse should not be dumped at that location. During the rainy season, the road gets flooded making it difficult for motorists to cross the road over the bridge.
“Also, when the refuse is set on fire, we find it very difficult to breathe because the smoke takes over the whole environment polluting the air. My appeal to the state government is to relocate the dump site if possible or provide refuse collection bins so that the situation can be addressed,” she said.
Yau Idris, Kaduna State Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources who oversees development control, house to house inspection, drainages and mobilization, environmental health education, clinic/hospitals, abattoir/market/parks, and any other environmental or health issue did not respond to calls put across to him by our correspondent at the time of filing this report.